Richard Garriott, aka "Lord British", creator of the "Ultima" game series, used to do something fun for Halloween - a real life haunted house fantasy adventure.
Tickets were given for free, first come, first served, and some lined up well in advance, creating a makeshift hobo camp outside his property. It took 400 people to create it each time it was held and 200 people to staff it. He spent $100,000 on the effects. Here, the Medusa on the second floor:
Photo: Richard Garriott
Read about the entire elaborate production here and below is the premise of the adventure:
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Descent Into Darkness
Since his return from the Amazon in late July, Lord British has born witness to ever increasing disturbancesin the psychic ether surrounding his estate, Britannia Manor. At first the disturbances were small and seemingly harmless; a cold spot in a hallway or a door closing by itself. Before long, however, these disturbances increased in regularity and intensity to the point of being dangerous. Lord British suspected that the supernatural assault on his manor was caused by a new addition to his collection of para-normal items. This new addition was none other than the legendary Star of Palestine, a large gem which was supposedly blessed by Christ near the Sea of Galilee. The Star of Palestine supposedly had the power to banish evil from the Earth. When he purchased the gem, Lord British was told that the gem could banish the greatest powers of hell from our world, but that in order to do so, the gem had to be held in close proximity to the source of the evil. However, the gem's power could not be squandered, for it could only be used once. Therefore, the gem was to be saved and used only in the greatest of crises.
Lord British decided to hold a seance in search of supernatural confirmation of the gem's power, and of evil's wish to possess it. Shortly after the seance began, a malevolent spirit warned Lord British that he would soon have great cause to regret his interference in the affairs of gods. The spirit then announced that its master would soon arrive and all injustices would be resolved. With that, the spirit departed and the seance was ended.
Lord British summoned his trusted friend and adventurer, the Avatar, to Britannia Manor to discuss the recent course of events. The Avatar was familiar with the legend of the Star of Palestine and Lord British's acquisition of the gem. As two adventurers discussed the gem, the hill upon which Britannia Manor sits began to shake. As the house was rocked by a violent earthquake, the ground floor split and tore itself open in a violent cataclysm of destruction. The hole grew wider; steam, heat, and the stench of brimstone began to belch out of it. Finally, demons and small devils began to fly out of the putrid hole which had opened up in Britannia Manor. Lord British and the Avatar had witnessed the opening of a hell gate.
Not one to waste time, the Avatar grabbed the Star of Palestine from its wooden box, and before Lord British could stop him, leapt into the hell gate. It was obvious the Avatar meant to travel into the very depths of hell, banish the evil making its way onto Earth, and seal the gate. However, that was three days ago, the Avatar has not returned, and the hell gate is now growing larger. Now Lord British is in need of brave volunteers who will go into the gate. They (our guests) will have to travel the many levels of Dante's Inferno, outwit the demons they encounter, and find the Avatar and the Star to banish evil from Britannia Manor and the world.
